>>5195127"I've heard rumors about what the See has become in this new age. People are losing their faith while taxation to the church skyrockets, and they've all been resorting to torture to shut the opposition!"
"In some cells, yes. But I believe in fair judgements. Farnese might have gotten too used to burning the victims, unless I'm overseeing her work, she tends to mistake suspicion for admission of guilt." Azan explains that he tends to keep the death count to a minimum if possible, even when he's the strongest of the group.
"So no witch hunts? I'll actually be judged as a normal human being?"
"Well, you were declared dead for the best part of two years. This is definitely not normal, but not impossible either. We'll leave the investigation for tomorrow though, this hunt has exhausted plenty of us, and right now Farnese is busy cremating the fallen."
So there was a chance that Vlad would not be killed thanks to Serpico or Azan, he just had to be careful around the lady herself.
Or so he thought, because before the sun of the following day could welcome him, he was woken up thanks to his head being thrown inside a water container. Serpico had taken him inside Farnese's tent, where he laid shirtless strapped to the ceiling by his wrists.
"I have been waiting for this moment, Phantom... We're finally alone, and when we are through with this, my nightmares will at last come to an end.."
Farnese's face lit up under a torch as she believe that he was the cause of her bad dreams involving the age of darkness. Vlad had humiliated her for the last time today. Seeing his face tense up as he finally understood that she had grown to be over him. It was all so sublime, so deliciously empowering...
No! What was she thinking? This was all for the sake of the mission. The others would just have been too soft on him!
"My eyes are up here, sweetie." Vlad caught Farnese staring at his bare chest, taking in at his gained muscle mass from all the years of hard work. "Listen, if you wanted to get kinky with me, you could have just said so. Haven't gotten some in a while, but I'm experienced enough to know how it goes if you're nervous- HGGGNN!"
His flirting is cut off by the torch being firmly pressed into his chest, Vlad grits his teeth as she slowly let his body recover from the pain.
"Did you enjoy the dousing I gave you? That's the last taste of water you'll have in my patronage." Farnese gives a final warning for him not to talk unless he is spoken to.
